A grading permit is required for excavation, grading, and fill in Sonoma, with engineered plans, bonds, and inspections governed by Chapter 14.20 of the Municipal Code.
Sonoma Municipal Code Chapter 14.20 (Excavations, Grading and Fills) requires permits for excavation, grading, and fill activities. SMC 14.20.035 specifies application contents including site plans, engineered drawings, and supporting calculations. Bonds may be required to guarantee completion and revegetation. SMC 14.20.100 governs excavating, grading and filling requirements (including cut/fill slope limits, setbacks, and drainage). SMC 14.20.050 sets permit duration: if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or not completed within one year, the permit may expire. Inspections are required during work, and the chapter contains stop-work and revocation authority. All grading projects must include an approved erosion and sediment control plan (SMC 14.20.205) and comply with the city's NPDES Phase II MS4 stormwater requirements under SMC 13.32. Drainage design must not concentrate runoff onto adjacent properties and must conform to the city's design criteria.
Grading without a permit, exceeding permitted volumes, or violating slope/drainage conditions is a violation of SMC 14.20. Enforcement includes stop-work orders, permit revocation, bond forfeiture, administrative citations, and abatement of unauthorized fills. Repeat or willful violations may be prosecuted as misdemeanors under the Municipal Code's general penalty provisions.
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